HOLE BY HOLE GUIDE

The course at Garforth Golf Club offers both a challenge for experienced golfers, aswell as the perfect place to learn and fall in love with the game of golf for beginners.

Below you can find our hole by hole strokesaver to plan your round and learn about each hole and best way to play the course. The commentery for each hole has been supplied by members and our resident golf pro Ken Findlater.

HOLE 1

Stand on the first tee looking at a straightforward tee shot left of centre, avoiding the three fairway bunkers, to leave a medium to short iron into a well-protected green. Two putts for a gentle par 4 opening to your round at Garforth.

HOLE 2

The first of the par 5 holes, just over 500 yards long with a spacious landing zone as long as you avoid the out of bounds left and the plantation to the right. A medium iron lay up to Carr Beck, a stream crossing the fairway, some 80 yards short of the green leaves a pitch up to an undulating green, bunkered short right and greenside right. The big hitter can carry the stream with the second shot to set up a birdie chance.

HOLE 3

The shortest par 4 on the course and at stroke index 18 supposedly one of the easiest. A safe drive down the left leaves a short pitch into an elevated receptive green. Two putts on a deceptively sloping green leaves a feeling of success when leaving the hole for the short rise up to the 4th Tee.

HOLE 4

Standing on the elevated tee to see stroke index 1 stretching out ahead, where nothing except your best drive will do. Dense woodland to the left with out of bounds beyond encourages a drive down the right. But this safe option leaves the green out of range in two. The Cock Beck, rumoured to have run with blood during the Battle of Towton in 1461 during the War of the Roses, bounds the right of the hole all the way to the green.

HOLE 5

The first of the short holes and looking innocuous off the tee. Yet, if you don't hit the long narrow green with your tee shot, a three will be a challenge. Well protected by its bunkers and cut into the hillside, stroke index 10 will test the nerves of the good and great.

HOLE 6

Arriving after a short uphill walk from the 5th, and you have one of the most panoramic views on the course. Hitting ones drive along the avenue of trees needs nerve and accuracy to hit a fairway where all roads lead down hill. Dense woodland to the left hides the out of bounds and more woodland to the right and ahead in the distance, ensures that only the fairway is the safe place. A large green surrounded on two sides by water and out of bounds left needs an accurate second shot.

HOLE 7

The 7th is a par three reached via a tee shot from the wooded tee, with Cock Beck running all along the right hand side to catch the faded drive. A long Mackenzie green awaits the good tee shot, heavy woodland awaits anything hooked off the tee.

HOLE 8

The 8th is the first of two relatively friendly holes, which take you back to the halfway house before setting out back away from the clubhouse for the back 9. Three bunkers await the loose drive, but a good drive with a hint of draw, is rewarded by a short iron onto the green. Bunkers right and left encourage accuracy before putting out on a large green sloping uphill right to left.

HOLE 9

An elevated tee affording clear views over the 1st, 9th and 10th holes encourages the golfer to open his shoulders for a big drive, success with which leaves a short iron into a well bunkered green. A well earned snack and refreshment awaits in the half way house.

HOLE 10

Another elevated tee looks on to a tight drive with woodland both sides of the fairway. A bunker on the right protrudes into the fairway to encourage caution from where a long iron or fairway wood is required if the green is to be reached in regulation. A large green waits on which two good putts are required to complete the hole in par.

HOLE 11

The 11th hole again tempts the bigger hitter to go for gold, but anything short of perfection will end in Carr Back which crosses the fairway, 60 yards short of the green. Best to lay up with a 3 wood or 1 iron drive to leave a wedge into the Mackenzie green which has bunkers left and right.

HOLE 12

The short par 3 12th hole rewards an accurate tee shot, necessary to avoid the 4 bunkers set to trap anything slightly off target. Hit the green to leave an interesting putt for birdie but look out for the big swings that can deceive.

HOLE 13

The second par 5 hole starts with the need for an accurate drive to avoid the plantation on the right and the stream on the left. The landing zone is quite accommodating but it certainly doesn’t look so from the tee. Out of bounds all along the left if you pull anything toward Cock Beck before a sheltered green appears in the distance. Our resident woodpecker can often be heard as you walk along the sheltered and tranquil fairway.

HOLE 14

Arriving on the 14th tee at the furthest point from the clubhouse, and one turns back to start the long walk home. The prevailing wind from the west starts to assist as you stand on the tee, looking for a good drive down the right to open up the approach shot into a green sloping up from front to back. Bunkers left and right await the slightly loose approach shot with out of bounds left, awaiting anything worse.

HOLE 15

The 15th hole is probably our signature hole and is the first of what is described in Yorkshire Golf as possibly the best 4 closing holes in the County. Some 444 yards long, an uphill drive leads to the decision as to whether to lay up short of Carr Back or take on the challenge and go for the green. Anything less than your best drive and a lay up is the only option, if you are to have any chance of a par. A large green with many subtle borrows awaits the well executed pitch.

HOLE 16

The final par 3, the 16th needs an extremely accurate drive from the elevated tee, along a wood lined avenue, if the well bunkered green is to be hit in regulation. This drive will normally be struck into the prevailing wind that is often not noticeable on the tee, but lays in wait for the ball once above the tree line.

HOLE 17

Turning back toward the clubhouse once again, and the dogleg right 17th hole demands a long tee shot, uphill to a spacious landing area with a bunker hiding in the elbow, into which the right canted fairway leads. Trees line the fairway on both sides, which together with further fairway bunkers discourage the average golfer from attempting to reach the green in regulation. Caution is often rewarded if a good pitch is struck into a receptive green.

HOLE 18

The recently lengthened 18th hole is another right hand dogleg, downhill toward the clubhouse, with two receptive bunkers awaiting anything which seeks to be over ambitious. Avoid the out of bounds bordering the left side of the fairway and the reward is a medium iron into a well-bunkered green. Two putts for a total of par 70 and into the 19th for a well earned rest.